Boot or shoe stretcher



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D. AfGAG-E & T. GHEETHAM.

- ,BOOT 0R SHOE STRETGHER.

N01. 425,605. Patented Apr. 15, 1890.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

D. A. GAGE 85 T. CHEF-TEAM.

BOOT 0R SHOE STRETGHBR. No. 425,605. Patented Apr. 15. 1890.

wpanesses 1 ma noams warns cm, mow-mum, msumumu, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

DAVID A. GAGE, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, AND THOMAS OHEETHAM, OF ATTLEBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,605, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filedDeoember 21, 1888. Serial No. 294,278. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We,.DAVID A. GAGE and THOMAS CHEETHAM, both citizens of the United States of America, residing, respect- 5 ively, at Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, and at Attleborough, in the county of Bristol and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have -invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot and Shoe Stretchers, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to means for stretching boots and shoes, so as to give comfort to the feet when the boot or shoe fits too snugly in any particular part.

The object of the invention is to devise an implement for the purpose stated, whereby the stretching may be exerted'laterall y as well as vertically, and to dispense with the como monly-employed long screw working in a nut in the instep of the stretcher and extending out beyond the heel of the boot or shoe, in the use of which the counters of the boot or shoe are often injured.

: 5 Our invention consists in the manner in which the stretcher is divided, and in the employment of the means described for expanding the last or stretcher in the lines of its division.

;o The construction is hereinafter described,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and the novel features for which protection byLet-ters Patent is desired are speoified in the claims at the end of this specifica- 5 tion.

In the drawings, in which like parts are indicated by like figures of reference in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stretcher embodying our improvements, showo ing the expanding-screws in position and the divided heel-section somewhat separated from the rest of the stretcher. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the stretcher thrown open in the line of its longitudinal division, in order 4,5 to illustrate its interior construction. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of stretcher folded with the hinged heel-section removed. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of said removed heelsection. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the screw which co-operates with the socket, and by which devices the lateral expansion is effected; and Fig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, of the socket and screw.

Referring to the drawings, 7 indicates the stretcher, which may be made of cast-steel or wood, and which is'of the shape of an ordinary boot-last. We divide the stretcherinto three sections, as shown, which are indicated by 8, 9, and 10. The vertical longitudinal division produces the sections 8 and 9, and the horizontal longitudinaldivision the section 10. The vertical longitudinal division is substantially central through the stretcher, except that the line of division does not pass through the heel-section 10 or through the heel-piece 11, to which latter piece the back extremity 12 of part 8 is connected by a hinged joint 13 and is adapted to fold thereunder, as shown in Fig. 3. The horizontal longitudinal division is from the back of the heel to the line 14:, at which point the heelseotion 10 is hinged at 15 to section 9 in such manner as to permit the stretcher, through the medium of screw 16, which operates perpendicularly through screw-threads in heelpiece 11 and in contact with heel-section 10, to be distended vertically to stretch the instep of the boot or shoe. Section 10 has no lateral movement, but merely a vertical movement with relation to the rest of the stretcher.

The respective sections 8 and 9 are internally grooved in a corresponding manner, as indicated in Fig. 2, to make provision for the reception and operation of the socket-screw 17, by which the stretcher is laterally expanded. The socket-screw 17 is shown in Fig. 6. The part 18 of this socket-screw is provided with a head 19, which is convex on its bottom to conform to the slope of the grooves within which it is adapted to move, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and it is of width sufficient to distend the last laterally, and thus expand the toe as it is moved forward within the curved portions 20 of the grooveswithin stretcher-sections 8 and 9. The curved 5 portions 20 have the greatest lateral depth at 20 and graduallybecome shallower as the toe is approached. The part 21 of the socketscrew, besides being screw-threaded internally, is provided with enlargement 22, which is adapted to fit within the socket portion 23 of the grooves referred to, which socket por-,

tion, While permitting part 21 to turn, with the eifect of gradually screwing out part 18 and thereby forcing head 19 along grooves 20, prevents said part from moving. forward itself t any extent whatever.

The manner of using our stretcher will be readily understood. When thestretcher is inserted in the boot or shoe, it is of course folded and in an unexpanded condition. If the instep of the boot is to be eased, by turning the perpendicular screw lfi, which impinges upon but is not connected with the stretcher-section 10, as shown, the rest of the stretcher is caused to swing upon hinge 15, so as to raise the connected sections 8 and 9 at the back, thus exerting pressure at the dc.

sired point. To ease the boot to give relief vto the toes, the stretcher is expandedlaterally by turning the socket-screw in the proper directionto feed the screw-head 19 forward,

as already explained. This; socket-screw is not fixedly attached to the stretcheniandis sufficientlycompact to enableit to be placed' with the stretcher wholly within the-boot and to be easily operated by placing the hand Within the boot and withoutinjury to the counter of the boot.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim. as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A boot and shoe stretcher consisting of.

a last divided in a vertical longitudinal direction from the toe back to heel-piece 11, the

two parts hinged together at the heel, as ex-.

plained, and each formed interiorly with a groove extending from the toe back to the instep, and with a socket or recess 23 in the instep, in combination with a socket-screw having an enlargement 22, which is held and operated in the socket of the instep, and a screw member having ahead operating in the groove of the toe, substantially as set forth.

2. A boot .andshoe stretcher consisting of a lastdividedin a vertical longitudinal direction from the toe back to heel-piece 11, and hinged at the heel and provided interiorly with grooves 20 20' and with sockets or recesses 23,

. as explained, and also split horizontally from thejheelback 1to line14, at which point the horizontal heel-section thus formed is hinged to one of the vertical longitudinal divisions,

in combination with a socket-screw operating in said grooves and having an enlargement 22, which is held and operated in said sockets '23 to expand the last laterally, and a screw,

as 16, co-operating with the horizontal hinged section to efiect vertical expansion, substantially as set forth.

. 3. A boot and shoevstretcher consisting of vertical longitudinal-divisions or sections; 8

underwhi ch it folds, and a horizontal heelsection hingedtosection 9, so as to swing vertically, the sections 8 and 9 provided with grooves iH thQir/LOQ. portions and recesses ;or sockets-23in the instepgini combination with a socket-screw co-operating withsections 8 and 9, as explained, the socket whereof having an enlargement 22, whioh is held and op-;

4 and 9, the latterhay-ingheel-piece 1l,towhich the backeextremity, of section 8 is hingedand erated in socketsor recesses 23, and the screw, member a head- 19, and a screw, as 16, passing.

through heel-piece 11 and co-operating with said horizontal heel-section, substantially as set forth.

j Signedat Pawtucket,in the county of Providence and State. of .Rhode Island, this 27th day of August, A. D. 1888.

DAVID A. .GAGE. THOS. OHEETHAM,

Witnesses:

THOS. W, ROBINSON, THOMAS ROBINSON. 

